Virginia: Basic Facts and State Overview

Virginia is the 12th most populous state with 8.7 million residents and 42,775 square miles — one of the most historically significant states in the US and, today, one of the wealthiest and most economically dynamic.

Capital and Major Cities
Richmond is the capital (230,000). Virginia Beach is the largest city (460,000). Other major cities: Norfolk (238,000), Chesapeake (250,000), Arlington (240,000), Newport News (186,000), Alexandria (160,000), and Hampton (137,000). Northern Virginia (Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County) is effectively part of the Washington DC metro.

Nickname and Motto
Virginia is "The Old Dominion" — a reference to Virginia being England's first overseas dominion. The state motto is "Sic Semper Tyrannis" (Thus Always to Tyrants). Virginia is also called the "Mother of Presidents" — eight US presidents were born in Virginia: Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, William Henry Harrison, Tyler, Polk (technically NC-born), Taylor, and Wilson.

Geography
Virginia spans five physiographic provinces from east to west: the Coastal Plain (Tidewater), the Piedmont, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Ridge and Valley (Shenandoah Valley and associated ridges), and the Appalachian Plateau (extreme southwest corner). This full cross-section of eastern US geography — from tidal estuary to mountain plateau — within one state makes Virginia geographically diverse.

Economy
Virginia's economy is dominated by the federal government and defense contracting — Northern Virginia has the highest concentration of defense and intelligence contractors in the world (Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, General Dynamics IT, SAIC, DXC Technology — all headquartered in Northern Virginia). Amazon HQ2 (Amazon's second headquarters) is in Arlington. The Port of Virginia (Hampton Roads) is one of the largest container ports on the East Coast. Agriculture (tobacco, poultry, cattle) and tourism (Colonial Williamsburg, Shenandoah, Virginia Beach) are significant.

Historical Significance
Virginia was the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America (Jamestown, 1607) and the location of the final battle of the Revolutionary War (Yorktown, 1781). Virginia was the capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War (Richmond) and has more Civil War battlefields than any other state.